Swamp Gravy

With all of the talk on the board about fish fries, gumbo, okra, etc., a true SOUTHERN Fish Fry is not complete without Swamp Gravy. While this dish is as individual as the person who makes it, here is a basic recipe to begin with.

Pour grease in which you used to fry your fish up into old coffee can and set aside for the next time you fry fish. Put frying pan back on the burner. Heat on high. Add all the ingredients to the drippings in the bottom of the frying pan. Add water. Stirring constantly until vegetables are done and liquid is thickened.

I would like to add green tomato relish as a must side dish with the fish.

It's easier to cook it AFTER you cook the fish using some of the same oil, etc. Simply cook until veggies are done. When potatoes are tender, everything else should be ready. It's also good to include some of the broken up pieces of the fried fish, etc., that didn't make it through the frying process. Green tomato relish Don't forget the sliced Vidalia onions, also...

Thought I knew all about Southern fish fries (know all about that "save the grease" part), but Swamp Gravy is something totally new to me. Never even heard of it. Sound like a delicious dish, but I would have never thought of it with the fish base or as something to be served with fish. Am sure its good that way, but do you ever prepare it from and to go with say fried chicken, chicken fried steak, pork chops, ham, or other meats? In what part of the south are you located, Adjudicator? Maybe this is like burgoo, stew, or whatever you call it, being a common accompanyment to barbecue in South Carolina. but yet is something I've never seen or heard of being done in this part of the South. Swamp Gravy is another great example of the interesting and useful new items one can learn from this website. Agree with you, Lone Star, on the green tomato relish (and also some onion) being absolute necessity to go along with any fried fish.

I am going to have to add the "swamp gravy" to our next fish fry. I use a cast iron kettle on an outdoor propane burner for the fish, fries, and hushpuppies. Couldn't I just add a little of the oil from the kettle to a skillet?

When these are tender, add a large can of tomatoes and 1 to 2 teaspoons of Louisiana Hot Sauce. Salt and pepper to taste. Pick some of the meat off 1 or 2 of the cooked fish and add to the mixture. Simmer for as long as you can stand the wonderful aroma. This is a basic recipe; anything can be added. If you really like it hot, add 1 diced Jalapeno pepper. Enjoy.

Thought I knew all about Southern fish fries (know all about that "save the grease" part), but Swamp Gravy is something totally new to me. Never even heard of it. Sound like a delicious dish, but I would have never thought of it with the fish base or as something to be served with fish. Am sure its good that way, but do you ever prepare it from and to go with say fried chicken, chicken fried steak, pork chops, ham, or other meats? In what part of the south are you located, Adjudicator? Maybe this is like burgoo, stew, or whatever you call it, being a common accompanyment to barbecue in South Carolina. but yet is something I've never seen or heard of being done in this part of the South. Swamp Gravy is another great example of the interesting and useful new items one can learn from this website. Agree with you, Lone Star, on the green tomato relish (and also some onion) being absolute necessity to go along with any fried fish.

I am in southern Georgia about 40 miles north of Tallahassee, FL.While I am sure this stuff would be good with the "dripins" from other meats such as pork chops or ham, etc., us folks down here are partial to cookin' it as being a ritual to go along with our fried shellcrackers and brim (bream)...

Adjudicator- while we are on the subject, what do you use to batter your fish? Cornmeal, salt and pepper were the only ingredients my grandmother used, but I have become partial to the LA fish fry mix myself.

Thanks for the additional posts/info re Swamp Gravy, Adjudicator. I'm surely going to have to try both recipes with fish (love those bream; one of my favorites), pork, or something soon. Feel that I've been deprived by never having had Swamp Gravy for all these years, but am sure no one around here (eastern Ark.) knows anything about it, and I never encountered it during all the years I lived in Mobile, Ala. (with occasional work trips over to Panama City). Can't wait to try both versions.

Adjudicator- while we are on the subject, what do you use to batter your fish? Cornmeal, salt and pepper were the only ingredients my grandmother used, but I have become partial to the LA fish fry mix myself.

Although I like both of the above, I tend to stay mostly with the cornmeal mixture with a bit of flour thrown in. I also make a somewhat spicy wash for the fish before I flour/bread them, & that kind of makes the LA fish fry mix a moot issue...

I LOVE new recipes!!!thank you folks---im having catfish for dinner tommorro and this time its being served with Swamp Gravy---the inventivness and variety of southern cooking never ceases to amaze me!

Thanks for the additional posts/info re Swamp Gravy, Adjudicator. I'm surely going to have to try both recipes with fish (love those bream; one of my favorites), pork, or something soon. Feel that I've been deprived by never having had Swamp Gravy for all these years, but am sure no one around here (eastern Ark.) knows anything about it, and I never encountered it during all the years I lived in Mobile, Ala. (with occasional work trips over to Panama City). Can't wait to try both versions.

Ah, Panama City... The redneck riveria... As a military brat, I spent many years there. Not like it used to be, however...My parents own a condo down there now... It's only a short drive from where I live. Fresh seafood is abundant, however the best kept eatin' places... well, the tourists don't know 'bout them...

Adjudicator, still get to Mobile & Pensacola yearly but haven't been on over to PC in years. Know, tho, last time I was there it had greatly changed. Fortunately was usually there on work trips so could learn those best eating places from the locals. Always particularly enjoyed the raw oysters, and PC area had the best scallops I've ever eaten. Wonder if they still have those great scallops there. As for change, tho, believe the biggest change I know of anywhere is around Destin. When I first started going to PC, Destin was nothing but a sleepy little fishing village. Realize some change and improvement anywhere is good, but have real doubts about change to the extent which has occurred there being desirable. Do you know anything about Cedar Key, FL., now? Been a number of years since I've been there, but it was the last totally unchanged, unmodernized Gulf Coast community/area I knew of. No chains of any sort, no plastic of any sort, all noncomputerized, and 2 or 3 really great restaurants with such different and delicioius seafood salads back then. Great memories! Still disappointed I've never before run into any Swamp Gravy!

You won’t find Swamp Gravy in any recipe book. It’s a dish served in Georgia fish camps. Fry up the day’s catch, then toss in whatever else you have on hand. The result is as individual as the person who made it, but recognized by everyone else.

That’s the spirit of the play, Swamp Gravy. It’s the dramatization of the oral history of Colquitt, Ga. (pop 2,000); a reservoir of memories, moments, and incidents that make up life—all individual, but somehow, all familiar.

I read a few others......seems it refers to a general----what they called a gumbo of anything left to throw in a pot at a fish fry. Sounds almost like what my father used to call garbage soup......it looks like more of a general term than a specific recipe.

Adjudicator, just wanted to let you know that last night tried the "Swamp Gravy" (your second version posted above) with some pork chops (including some pork chop pieces in the gravy). While from all you say am sure that the "Swamp Gravy" with the fish is likely better, never having had any of any sort, found this to be some awfully good eating. Anxious to try the original fish version now. Thanks. Liketoeat

It looks wonderful...another One for my recipe file!I like the first version better. I am thinking with some old bay seasoned shrimp.I just wish that I didnt live alone, because it is so hard to cook for one. I want to make so many things, and dont because I work so much and get 2 meals there..And Dog only eats certain things.. Like DOGFOOD and rib bones!

As much as I know..., Swamp Gravy can be adapted to just about any variation that has been previously described. My favorites do not really include corn. The (bell) pepper idea I have tried and I like it very much. Of course, I will put fresh peppers (tounge dissolving to mild) in just about anything. An abundance of onion is also required in my recipe. Fresh summer tomato's of course are needed, along with a humongous mess of fresh fried small / medium shellcrackers, some fried sliced new 'taters, and some hushpuppies. Best consumed in abandon near the river's edge with copious amounts of beer.

PapaJoe A fish Camp is a restaurant that (usually) is located next to or On the source of the fish...be it river or lake. Sometimes they are called Fish Houses or Catfish Houses. I have seen some that are merely 'shelter houses' with tin roofs and no side walls at all. The roofs cover a bunch of picnic tables and either smokers or friers or both. Relatively primitive ambience, but sometimes they are really DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH. Other Fish Camps are definitly pointed towards a more 'civil' appearance and some are full service country restaurants. The one thing they all seem to have in common is the ability to use locally caught fish/crabs/crawdads/frogs to make some really great eating.

Thanks Al, now I know what a fish camp is. I bet a few of you other guys didn't know but were afraid to ask.

Adjudicator, yep some of us newbies need to know this stuff, With the new taters, fresh tomato, and hushpuppie additions, ohhh, and the river and beer, and the shellcrackers (whops, they sound good also but what are those?) this swamp stew is really sounding good!!!!! Thanks.Joe

Ahhh, thanks. That was my grandad's fav kind of fish. He called em perch. I'd catch em and he would scale em and cook em bones and all. Sometimes fried and sometimes grilled on the barrell cooker. He would throw the ones that were to big back. They had to be the small ones. MmmmmmJoe

I am a bit off topic but prior posters were discussing eating fish and the bones. That reminded me when I was in the Air national Guard from 1962-1968.

One of my fellow guardsman was from Gatlinburg and owned a restaurant and motel there. He genuinely loved to trout fish. I discussed with him that I would like to do that but I had never had the experience. During summer camp he decided to take me. We drove up past Gatlinburg and hiked several miles upstream into the mountains. We had a frying pan, some oil, potatoes, onions, cornmeal, jug of liquor (large) and salt and pepper.

We fished this spot in the stream that turned out very good. We caught about 50 small trout, gutted them and ate them bones and all. I did not know you could do that but these were less than four inces long and abundant.

To make a large story, we fried the potatoes with onions, fried the fish, drunk the liquor, spent the night and had the fish and potatoes again the next morning.

Swamp gravy with a humongous mess of bone in shellcrackers, mmmmmm. Whops, the new taters are freid and not in the gravy. Maybe the fresh tomatoes are on the side also? Hey, you could put em both in the gravy and also on the side, along with the onions.Joe